Losing my powder coat

[Hook]

I have been using the shake and bake method of powder coating for 3-4 years with no complaint at all. I only cast for rifles and have taken 2 deer so far with my PC'ed bullets. I do a smash test on every batch I process and have never had one fail the test. Accuracy has been outstanding, and I've noticed no issues with barrel fouling but admit I haven't looked too closely at the fouling when cleaning them.

I decided I wanted to get an idea of how my alloy (~10.5 BH) was expanding so I fired a few of them into water. They were both 30 cal, a 170 gr Lee FP (actual wt 177 gr) and a 180 gr RCBS FP (actual wt 189 gr). The picture shows the final wt and the amount of expansion with each. The middle slug passed through the water and hit the bucket wall of my tractor's front end bucket I was using to hold the water containers. Velocities were 1700 fps for the Lee and 1800 fps with the RCBS. I guess I was expecting more expansion but this was it! Penetration with each was about 4 feet.

The picture also shows that practically all the powder coat is gone on the contact surfaces of the bullets. This I was not expecting. Is the powder coat coming off as it goes down the barrel or from the impact with the water and when passing through it? I will take a close look at the barrels I'm using for cast shooting to see what is in the bore besides carbon fouling, which is normally all I notice when cleaning.

I y'all's opinion, it the powder coat protecting the barrel?

[Misery-Whip]

The water is stripping it away. Bet its stripping lead off the diameter too. Even the plastic jug could be pealing the coating off.

I wouldnt be worried. If you see strong rifling marks in the slugs your fine. You only need the pc to get the bullet out of the gun...

[cwlongshot]

I agree with MW. It may not mean you have any problem at all.

Do you have leading? Do you have any fouling?

CW

[deces]

[Hook]

Cleaned '03 barrel last night and got nothing but powder fouling out, as usual. Showed the patches to my wife, who can see colors much better than me, and she thought she could see a faint greenish tinge to the first couple that went through. If there is PC coming off in the barrel there seems to be dang little of it!

I have to admit that seeing those almost bare bullets laying in the water really spooked me. Never would have thought water would have done that when the trip down the barrel didn't! Thanks for your comments, guys!

[mehavey]

OOC: What powder/What process -- temp/time ?
The PC should not be coming off (in just water no less)

See: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...=1#post5506686

[cwlongshot]

I cannot post pics here. (So cannot show) But have recovered hundreds of my powder coated bullets. Come from water some and some dirt a d a few from flesh. Some powders retain better then others.

As stated its purpose isnt to look pretty after shot. Thats a kin to expecting lube to remain on a greased bullet. As long as the barrel is clean after shooting, its done its job.

[jsizemore]

All I've used is Smoke's Signal Blue. I've dug bullets out of the dirt berm. Whatever remains of the bullet is still intact and bonded to the remaining bullet. When I shoot steel, the front of the bullet is pulverized. The base and attached small pieces of the side still have PC bonded. Haven't shot water.

[charlie b]

This was shot into sand at 200yd. 2000fps at the muzzle, 210gn bullet. Eastwood Light Blue. The other side is scraped down to bare lead and can't see grooves. Note what the left edge of the bullet looks like.

Never shot PC into water.

Note that there is still some PC left in the grooves.

You won't see PC fouling as a color. After being treated to a trip down the barrel it comes out black. As long as you don't have shiny stuff on the patch or in the bore (lead) then the PC is doing it's job.

But, I would probably be concerned if my PC came off after shooting in water. I have been surprised before, so it could be possible.

[popper]

Some is eroded off in the barrel. Most is lost IMHO at impact by shock. I recovered some shot into a rock pile, remaining coating was white and very 'powdery' as was all the outside part of the bullet. Impact makes the metal move and powder gets loose.